The primary reason came to me just recently, though, as I was putting together a blog post. I suddenly became very aware of the rituals I go through when I'm writing, and I realized an embarrassing truth: I look really weird when I write. Especially during the in between bits, when I'm not actually typing or writing, but thinking and planning what comes next.
That is when things get physical. I shake my legs and tap my fingers and pull at my lips and play with my hair and crack my knuckles and furrow my brow and massage my temples and wiggle my toes and wave my hands and pace and dance and stretch and when the words are being particularly difficult, I lay my head on my desk or bury my face in my hands.
And the last thing I need while all of this is occurring is an audience. It seems that in order to get to the good stuff, I must simply give in to the oddball physicality, and if I knew that someone was watching me as I did so, I don't think the words would flow as freely.
Virginia Woolf famously said that in order to write fiction a woman must have money and a room of her own. I doubt that her reasoning was the same as mine, but then again, you never know. I think I'll choose to dream that she and I have something in common.
Now if you'll excuse me, I must go lie down. Writing is exhausting.
Sarah xoxo
P.S. What about you? Do you have any writing rituals, or is it just me? Please share in the comments.